It's time for......Friday Facts

OK- So I ran out of time and didn't get my advent calendar done last night, so I don't have a picture to post. I still have 1 more day till the countdown starts. So until then, here are some facts: 1. Some toothpastes contain antifreeze.

2. Sigmund Freud had a morbid fear of ferns.

3. The screwdriver was first used to help knights put on their armor.

4. Millie the White House dog earned more than four times as much as Pres. Bush in 1991.

5. A scallop has 35 eyes-all of them blue.

6. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin claims to have been the first man to "piss in his pants on the moon."

7. Galileo went blind studying the sun the through telescopes.

8. During the Middle Ages you could be accused of witchcraft if your pets disobeyed you.

9. Can you tell which president is on the $20 bill without looking? Only 16% of Americans can.

10. There are more plastic flamingos in America than real ones.

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!

It is snowing today. The first real snow here in town this year. Nothing like waking up to a beautiful snow fall before it melts and gets dirty. I am jealous of those of you that live in the orchards and can make snowmen...or women. We "down" here on normal hill (yes we are normal people) didn't have that opportunity....so we made cookies! I don't know what it is, but when it is cold and snowy, I get in the baking mood. Cormac of courses is always in the baking mood. He likes to try and convince me to make cookies on a regular basis. However, if I gave in to these wishes I would weight 50 more pounds and my son would be in the beginning stages of type II diabetes.
I have my weekly girl's survivor party tonight, and we always snack. Having some sugar cookies would hit the spot. Since I am also going down to my friends store to make a advent calendar (thanks Tami for your cute ideas, and making me a extra kit), I will bring some to share with my dear friend Kristi. That way too many don't lurk around the house and mysteriously get tacked on my butt for 10 years. I hope you all have your Advent calenders ready, because we are only two days away from the countdown!! I will post a picture of my calender tomorrow!

Here is Chef Cormac:

Hmmmm

Tada!

Prep Cook Chloe:

I got sprinkles!!

Snow on our turkey day!!!

So on our Thanksgiving Day we didn't have any snow in the valley, but as you looked at the surrounding Lewiston hills, there was snow up there. I thought YEAH!! I love the snow, being raised in Alaska with lots of snow, it brings up old fun childhood memories of playing in the snow with friends. We were going to be spending the day at my dad's house in Uniontown up on the hill. So I couldn't wait to play in it!! I got a bag and loaded it with all the necessary snow gear from head to toe. This was going to be Chloe's first time seeing snow, and Cormac was in skiing lessons when he was 25 months. So he had seen snow, but the first time he would actually enjoy it for what it is.

When we arrived Cormac saw the snow, and said "momma dirty" as he pointed at the ground. I had to explain that it was not dirty, but snow. Chloe just wanted to try and "eat" it....if you know Chloe this should come as no surprise, she likes her food. So before the big thanksgiving feast I suited up the kids, which after getting them ready to go outside, I was exhausted.

Cormac was ready and out the door, and grandpa pulled him around on a sled. However, the scene with Chloe reminded me of the scene straight out of "A Christmas Story". When poor little brother Randy couldn't move in his snowsuit, and just fell to the ground. Chloe kept falling down and would lay there because she couldn't move:

This is what she did when I took her out:

Poor thing, but Cormac Sure did enjoy himself being pulled around the property by Grandpa Joe:Then we went sledding on a hill that is just the perfect size for little kids. It is a pile of dirt that is left over from building the shop. Cormac loved it. He has asked me everyday since,"Momma I wanna got to Grandpa Joe's and sled" So here is a video clip:

Captain Mac sets sail on the high seas of carpet!!!

Captain Mac says... Arrgh!

His first mate Chloe

While Cormac napped, daddy put together his ship. He was so excited when he woke up. He put on all his pirate attire and went sailing! While behind the wheel I asked him what he was doing, "momma I go looking for treasure" Sooo cute.
He had a blast shooting the cannons at us. He took Chloe's lady bug wings from her birthday and would tell us,"You be lady bug I be pirate" Them he would try to shoot us.

So here is some of his booty from his birthday:
Thanks to everyone who came and helped celebrate. Cormac says thank you all for the gifts!

My little man turns 3

I can't believe how fast time is going and that he is turning 3, but he is. So here it goes:So technically his birthday fell on Thanksgiving this year and will every 7 years. We didn't want to celebrate it then, so we did the weekend before the Holiday. His day started off with a morning surprise, I gave him a big bag full of really nice books. Cormac LOVES books and being read to. Later that morning, we rented the room at the theater and had a party with some his friends and family. We had cake, ice cream, and presents!! Here he is eyeing his loot: Playing arcade games...he didn't even need money!! He didn't know the difference.

It was love at first sight...a pirate seeing his ship for the first time!

A welder just like grandpa:

We got a tour of the whole upstairs and projector room were they showed us all the reels and how they splice the films. It was all very interesting. Cormac also got to start the film!

Watching the movie:

Posing with one of his friends:

THE END....roll the credits........

Ohh wait!! We then asked him what he wanted for dinner and of course he replied "Pizza!" So we took him out to Fazzari's and treated him. He enjoyed sitting at the window watching them make him dinner:) Stay tuned for the Pirate Captain Mac and his ship....showing all his booty he looted!!!

Thankfullness on Turkey Day

This time of year everyone goes around telling you what they are thankful for, which in turn makes you think of what it is that you have to be thankful for. I know I have LOTS when I compare myself to everyone in the whole world. Just by default, being a female born in the United States. As some of you know, that alone puts you in good standing. I won't go to in depth with all this, but one last fact: If you make at least $25,000 a year that puts you in the top 10% of the richest people in the WORLD!! So that should put some things in perspective. That being said here is what I have to be thankful for this Holiday season:

1. A healthy family. That includes my kids and husband and I, but also our grandparents, parents and siblings and extended family. It is rare you can say that, and not have one person facing some illness...not in this family. (Disclosure: personally I have wondered about some family members mental stability, but I can't prove by a reasonable doubt that some of them have any mental illness, so that has not been taken into account:)
2. A great husband who has a good job and who provides for his family well, allowing me to stay home and raise our kids.
3. The fact that after breast feeding two children, my boobs are not touching my knees.
4. I am not currently in a mental hospital due to my stressful, yet rewarding day job.
5. I have great, loyal friends that I can always lean on.
6. That I am not the turkey or ham on the table!!!

So I hope everyone enjoys sitting around the table having good food and good conversation with our loved ones. Maybe take the time to let them all know how special they are to you!

BOO...from these two

So here is the Halloween edition Cormac and Chloe style. Chloe was a "Diner girl" with a poodle skirt and jacket: Since I am pretty much a tomboy at heart, I don't wear a lot of dresses and don't dress her in too many. So when she first put on her dress which had a puffy underskirt, she thought she was cute stuff. She pranced around the house and showed off her costume. And as you can see below, she tried to flash everyone and show her tata's! She got a hold of a Tootsie pop and that was all she grasped on to all night. I would try to get it from her and she would run and laugh: She loves to play chase, I guess she is getting ready for when she gets older and has to play hard to get. Practice makes perfect!
Cormac was "Captain Jack Sparrow":He was (and still is) in a big Pirate kick. For at least a month before Halloween he would say,"momma I wanna go see spooky's." Which meant we had to go to Walmart and look at all the Halloween decorations. This happened at least 4 times, until one day a blown up skeleton in a chest scared him enough and he cried and we had to leave.
He also would say, "Momma, I gotta be a pirate...arrrgh mattie!"He enjoyed pillaging and looting enough booty to last a while:Until Cormac ship sets sail next year!!

Another edition of Adventures with Cormac and Chloe: The Pumpkin Patch

I am trying to play catch up with my blog since I am behind, before my memory fades. That being said, here are a few pictures of our trip to the local pumpkin patch last month. This was Chloe's first, and Cormac third. But this was his first time actually being excited and understanding this trip. Cormac kept asking for weeks,"momma I go to pumpkin patch". Last year he went with Grad/Gram Laybourn, because I was recovering from my 2nd c-section with Chloe's birth. So this year we made a family event out of it.
The troop arrives:
The Cor-mac daddy makes his selection:
I tried to get a picture of them with their pumpkin's, didn't work:
Our angel:
Cormac eyeing the apple he picked out of the store after he just grabbed and took a bite, so the lady told him to just keep it:
On top the haystack after conquering it:
Running from daddy in the maze:

Chloe's first birthday!

On October 26th Chloe had the big ONE. She loved every second of it. We did a ladybug theme and she had on antenna's and wings. As she pranced around in her get up, all the kids enjoyed yelling "BUG, BUG" and running and playing chase. Chloe loves to play chase and be chased, so she didn't mind at all. Although Cormac still after almost a month is still calling her a bug. When she comes in the room he will say "mommy,mommy ....bug" and point at her. I keep telling him, "no that is your sister" but he seems to not care. She enjoyed all the dolls she got and took turns carrying each one of them around.
So here are some of the highlights of the party:
Dropping her toys:
The cake:

The birthday girl in her hat:
The start of the cake mess:
Still just getting started: